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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25855933">Are We There Yet?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixiealtaira/pseuds/pixiealtaira'>pixiealtaira</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Advent Drabbles 2016 [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Glee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:33:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,326</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25855933</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixiealtaira/pseuds/pixiealtaira</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Day seven Advent  drabbles 2016: holiday travel</p>
<p>Kurt rethinks all those family travel horror stories.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Advent Drabbles 2016 [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1871245</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Are We There Yet?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kurt Hummel was not amused. The biggest ‘not amused’ moment was getting home from Dalton, after being FORGOTTEN about on parents day and having to stay an extra day, to find that his family had gone off for a WEEKEND trip to go see a ballgame.  Finn had needed cheering up.  Kurt wasn’t sure why, but that was reason his dad had given when Kurt had called him up asking where he was on Parent’s Day at Dalton and found out Burt had forgotten about it and they were in Dayton and Burt wasn’t going to make it after all, but he would call the Headmaster’s office to give Kurt the permission he needed to go home at the end of the day.  Kurt was less pleased when six pm came about and his dad hadn’t called and so Kurt wouldn’t be able to leave on Friday even if his dad called at the point and Kurt had to call his dad again…who forgot he said he’d call.  His dad called right after Kurt got off the phone but it was too late for him to leave.  He found out Saturday morning that since his parent hadn’t showed up to parent day he had to actually do an extra day of service to work off demerit points and that since he wasn’t boarding the next semester he needed the dorm room cleaned out of his stuff completely and checked before he left…he couldn’t come back and do it during break.  Luke…his roommate… had left his side a mess.  Kurt managed to get off campus at nearly four pm.  He wasn’t happy coming home.</p>
<p>He got home to an empty house.  The note on the fridge said they took off and would be home late and not to worry about Friday Night Dinner, his dad wouldn’t hold him missing it against him.  There was a message on the machine that said Finn still needed some cheering so they were staying an extra day and to have the house clean when they got home, since they didn’t have time before they left and Finn had had friends over Thursday night and they had stayed up late and might have made a mess. It was after the message that informed his parents that Finn hadn’t been to school on Friday and that this was his tenth absence and any more before the new semester would be cause for him to fail it, excused or not, especially with his near failing grades.  Kurt looked at the Family Calendar on the wall.  Parent’s Day was clearly marked. It was BOLDED.  His dad had obviously been aware he was done with school because Kurt’s work hours were listed for the next week…daytime work hours.</p>
<p>Kurt found the mess…in his Basement on his white couch and rugs.  Kurt had the place cleaned up, so he couldn’t be yelled at and waited.  When his family wasn’t home by 7:30, Kurt went out to eat and treated himself to Lola’s Diner food.</p>
<p>They got home at 11pm.  All Kurt got in the way of ‘Hello’ was Finn yelling because so much of Kurt’s stuff was in the bedroom.</p>
<p>His dad made him sleep on the couch, because Finn hadn’t been able to sleep well on the hotel bed and so needed a good night’s sleep and apparently he couldn’t get a good night’s sleep if Kurt slept in Kurt’s bed in the bedroom.</p>
<p>His dad woke him up at 7am and informed him that they were all going to Toledo to Carole’s family’s Christmas party and NO, he could not just stay home.  They were a family and they needed to show a united front.</p>
<p>So Kurt was in the backseat of Carole’s car, in clothing he had not picked out, sitting next to Finn who did not want him there.</p>
<p>And Finn was making Kurt regret ever thinking that all those traveling horror stories were made up or exaggerated.</p>
<p>In between pinching Kurt because he was taking up too much room (Kurt was pressed as far against the door behind the driver’s seat as he could get because they were seriously both too big to be comfortable in the back seat of Carole’s car, but Finn was really too big for it and his legs just spread out all over and Carole refused to allow them to bring Kurt’s SUV) and singing 500 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, Finn was telling Kurt how he needed to be quiet and not talk to anyone…or Finn would make him sorry.  Carole was telling him all about which relatives to not talk about his school with and which to not talk about his ‘gayness’ with and which to not speak of his lack of faith with.</p>
<p>His dad just told him to smile and remember that he was representing the Hummels and he needed to make a good impression.</p>
<p>They hadn’t even been in the car a half hour yet. It didn’t get better.  Finn made them stop for Breakfast which he spilled all over and then tossed his trash on the floor and then he made them stop for soda and snacks and two ‘potty’ breaks.  Finn tossed a fit about the Christmas station that his dad had it set at…it played too much ‘old’ stuff.  He didn’t like his mother’s choice because it turned out to be a Country Music station, even though Kurt really couldn’t tell because they did not stick to country music Christmas songs.  Kurt voiced his suggestion and was told to ‘shut up’. (Kurt’s suggestion was the station that Finn ended up liking best.)  Kurt was informed he wasn’t allowed to sing along with the station…or at any point for the rest of the day.  Finn sang very loudly to the music in the car. When Kurt complained he got in trouble for being whiney.  Finn also drummed on the back of the front seats (which Kurt got yelled at for), and kept elbowing Kurt in the side (and face). </p>
<p>“Finn Hudson, so help me if you do NOT stop that flailing around right now I will make you sing soprano for the rest of your life.” Kurt finally shouted after a very hard jab to his cheek and nose. Kurt grabbed the napkins that had been in the bag with Finn’s breakfast and all the napkins he’d packed extra.</p>
<p>“Kurt, you are not too big to spank.  Do I need to pull this car over?!” His dad yelled from the driver’s seat.</p>
<p>“Dad! He hit me!” Kurt yelled back.</p>
<p>“Nonsense.  Finn did not hit you,” Carole replied. “You however did scream at him and threaten him.”</p>
<p>“And you didn’t even look back here to see!” Kurt hissed.</p>
<p>“Finn, did you hit Kurt?” Burt asked.</p>
<p>“No.  Kurt’s just mad still because we aren’t listening to his Christmas Music and we are listening to mine instead.  I didn’t touch him.  He’s just making things up.”</p>
<p>“See, Kurt, Finn didn’t hit you and stop pouting about the music station.” Carole said.</p>
<p>“Dad, could you hand back the napkins up by you and Carole?  We don’t have enough back here.” Kurt asked and put his hand out to get them.</p>
<p>“I saw you grab a pile of them and Finn had some too.” His dad answered.</p>
<p>“We don’t have enough back here. Please hand me yours.” Kurt insisted and tilted his head enough so his face showed in the rear view mirror.</p>
<p> His dad handed the napkins back.</p>
<p>The hour and a half drive to Toledo (with the extra 15 minutes built in for a single stop or traffic)…which was the time it took he and his dad to get there…took two hours and twenty-five minutes driving with Finn.  Kurt was bruised and bloody and annoyed as hell. </p>
<p>“Hasn’t this been a lovely drive?” Carole asked when they pulled up to the middle school Carole’s grandparents had rented out to host their family party at…since it was big enough for everyone.  Other people were getting out of their cars as well and the parking lot was quite busy.</p>
<p>Kurt glared at her.  His nose had just stopped bleeding and luckily he had not got blood on his clothing.  He might hate the shirt he was wearing but he was fond of the jeans.</p>
<p>“No.” Kurt said. “It was a miserable drive.”</p>
<p>“Oh, Kurt,” Carole gushed. “That is so amusing.”</p>
<p>Kurt glared at his dad…who looked at Kurt and saw the amount of bloody napkins and the bruised cheek and his nose.</p>
<p>“I am not amused at all.” Kurt said coldly. “If you are, then you are demented.  We should get where we need to be. I need to find a restroom.”</p>
<p>“Oh darling, I told you you should have gone when we stopped at that last place.” Carole said, looking around the parking lot and not at Kurt.</p>
<p>“Dad.” Kurt said.  It was just one word but Burt grabbed hold of Carole’s hand.</p>
<p>“Come on, honey,” Burt said. “It’s chilly out here and I’m sure everyone would like to get inside and figure out what is going on.”</p>
<p>“We should get both boys to sit on Santa’s lap together, Burt!” Carole said as she headed to the front doors.</p>
<p>“I think they are too big for that, but maybe they could still sit on Santa’s lap individually.” Burt answered as they walked in.</p>
<p>Finn glared at Kurt and ran off to join up with some cousins.</p>
<p>Some other adult pointed the bathroom out to him as soon as he got inside.</p>
<p>A story of a short stop on icy roads later and Kurt spent a great deal of the day pampered by Finn’s great-grandparents and several of Carole’s Aunts and Uncles.  It helped that he was willing to fetch whatever the more elderly family members needed and got them their lunches so they didn’t have to stand in line for long and was willing to talk about whatever they brought up conversation wise…which oddly enough mostly stuck to old movies and old songs, discussions of Christmas traditions and modern TV reality shows and TV shows of the 60s and 80s.  Kurt asked about the family history and sat and listened as they told stories from their youth and childhood and of other older family members.</p>
<p>Finn’s great-grandparents even made everyone doing craft type projects bring whatever was being done over for Kurt to do…so he didn’t have to be in the crush of kids and risk his headache or making his sore face worse.</p>
<p>Kurt got extra sweets and treats and an extra goodie from Santa. He got to eat before Finn or even Carole and his dad, because Aunt Jane made sure he got his plate filled as he was helping Carole’s Aunts and Uncles and Aunt Jane thought he was so sweet for doing so. Kurt was asked to sing “Go Tell It On The Mountain” and “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, because he actually knew them.  Kurt even got to make first pick in the Ornament White Elephant game, since he promised to do the grabbing and exchanging for anyone over his dad’s and Carole’s age who didn’t feel like chasing around the large circle.  Carole’s Grandpa even gave Kurt the matching wood worked elves that he’d bought for extras incase people showed up who hadn’t remember to bring ornaments. (Burt had picked out all of theirs…classics cars.) (Kurt went home with the brass angel he picked out and the wooden elves and a set of song birds that Carole’s mom had brought as extras…he was rather pleased.)  Kurt got to hand out the family goodie packages from the great-grandparents.  He found out later that apparently the other kids usually fought over the ability to do so, because it came with first choice of desserts.</p>
<p>By the time Carole and Burt were ‘gathering’ kids up so they could leave; Kurt was much more inclined to be pleasant while stuck in the car again with Finn.  He hadn’t said more than twenty words to Finn in the six hours they were at the Family Party and Finn had said even less to him.  Finn had hung with the cousins for the most party and to Kurt that was very much fine and dandy.</p>
<p>Kurt got in the back seat with a wooden apple crate box that Carole’s Grandfather had located for Kurt to pack his stuff into. It had come with the commentary to Carole and Burt not to let Finn fuss with it because it was Kurt’s. Kurt had a dozen ornaments, including the four that had been done as crafts.  He had a deck of cards and earbuds from Santa since Santa had given him an extra goodie because he was being so helpful (and then Santa slipped him a small logic puzzle book and word find book as well.)  He had the candle they made and the stocking hooks they had made in his box.  He had HIS goodie bag from Carole’s mom and dad and a goodie bag Aunt Jane gave him (and he still wasn’t sure how Aunt Jane was related…just she was near Carole’s age not her parent’s age.) and a goodie bag from the great-grandparents which was extra full. (Finn had one from the great-grandparents and Carole’s parents but not one from Aunt Jane.)  He had his jingle bell necklace and bracelet and he even put together a jingle bell pin.  He had his foam sword next to him, his washer necklace in his box and his lentil filled balloon stress ball in his box (actually he had four and was calling the non-white lentil filled balloon balls juggling balls).  Finally he had a plate full of cookies…he had several of the rice crispy treats they had made and several of the sugar cookies they had decorated.  He got those because he helped clean up the kitchen area after all the other kids and adults had been through.  Beyond Kurt’s treats in the box, the box was filled with half a bag full of napkins and three rolls of paper towels.</p>
<p>The box, being made of wood and quite well constructed, had hard edges that injured elbows and hands that flew Kurt’s direction.</p>
<p>The ride home wasn’t peaceful.  Finn demanded they stop for food before they got very far into the drive.  He spilled his soda and then they had to stop for soda down the road just a little bit.  Paper towels sat between Kurt and Finn in wad that prevented the soda spill from reaching Kurt.  They had to stop and find a restroom Finn could use before a half hour had passed.</p>
<p>Finn’s pants had gotten wet from the spill soda and so he was cold.  Finn no longer wanted to hear ANY Christmas Music and they could not find a station that wasn’t playing it on the radio.  Carole had packed Finn’s stuff in the trunk and so he couldn’t play with anything and it wasn’t fair Kurt got his stuff with him.  Kurt was too near him, Kurt was breathing to loud, Kurt kept looking at him. Kurt wouldn’t shut-up. Kurt wouldn’t give him Kurt’s stuff to mess with.</p>
<p>“You touch it and I’ll call your grandmother right this minute.” Kurt said when Finn grabbed at his box.</p>
<p>“Finn, leave it alone.” Carole had added.</p>
<p>Kurt leaned his head against the window and hummed to himself quietly as they drove home.  He kept his box in his lap and held tightly in his arms, so Finn couldn’t even see into it. Finn whined to his mother non-stop…about Kurt’s box and him getting one when Finn didn’t have one, about Kurt getting to sing at the party, about Finn not getting extra cookies, about Kurt being there all together and thus ruining Finn’s day. And Finn kicked at Kurt as they rode…without realizing that his shoes were muddy and leaving prints wherever he kicked.  He could see his dad and his dad could see him as he just quietly sat and put up with it all.</p>
<p>“I get the bedroom tonight,” Kurt said as they pulled into Lima. “After all, I need soft pillows to rest my injured head and a nice comfortable place to place my bruised body. I won’t get that on the couch.”</p>
<p>“Kurt…” his dad said in his warning voice.</p>
<p>“Oh, and dad, can you please call and explain why you didn’t go to the Parent’s day at the school that was clearly marked on the Calendar, unlike this today, and see if you can get any of the demerit points that earned me that didn’t get worked off Saturday dismissed. If you can’t explain then maybe Carole can explain…since I’m sure she is going to have to explain why Finn missed school on Friday anyway.  Especially since his grades shouldn’t allow him to miss school. I saved the message on the answering machine about Finn’s missing school and how this is his tenth absence and anymore will require him to have to repeat all his classes this semester and he is nearly failing them as it is.”</p>
<p>“I’ll make sure your bed is ready to be slept in.” Carole said quickly.</p>
<p>His dad and Carole started arguing because apparently Carole had told his dad that she had already talked to the school about Finn missing the day and OKed it with all his teachers and the school and that Finn was doing well enough to miss the day.  Then they both started drilling Finn on HOW he was missing ten days…because they could only account for three.  And Finn tried to pinch Kurt because he said something about the missing day and so tattled but Burt saw him in the rearview mirror.  Kurt still got pinched but Finn got told not to, which led to Finn whining again about how unfair Kurt was being and how mean Kurt had been the whole trip… while kicking him still. And his dad put the radio on and turned it up really loud for the last ten minutes of the drive home.</p>
<p>Kurt was ready to kiss the driveway when they got home.  He knew his legs were going to be black and blue by the morning.  His cheek and nose already were…so were his arms and side.</p>
<p>Finn darted into the house as soon as the car stopped, leaving his mom to get everything of his from the trunk…as well as her stuff.  Kurt chuckled as he slammed the car door shut after he got his box and sword and himself out.</p>
<p>“You find this amusing?” His dad asked.</p>
<p>He had the same tone he had when he told Kurt he was disappointed in him earlier in the year.</p>
<p>Kurt turned and glared.  “I have not been amused by ANYTHING since Friday…you FORGOT about ME! Don’t use that disappointed tone right now.  Not directed to me.  However, I am willing to answer.  I chuckled because a long while ago…like sixth grade…I got absolutely irate at a story about a family road trip.  I thought the story was just overdone.  No one ever had to deal with the type of behavior described, I was sure.  The ONLY things in that story missing from my ride with Finn in that god awful backseat was the incessant asking of ‘Are We There yet?’ and car sickness. I just experienced all the annoying behavior from a book about a six day road trip in less than FIVE HOURS in a car with Finn….all of it. Next time, I drive myself.”</p>
<p>His dad just stared at him with his mouth open as Kurt stormed into the house.  Kurt was sure he’d hear about his tantrum later, but Kurt didn’t care.  He was done.</p>
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